I wore the Stuyvesant shirt again.
People take offense sometimes
that I would flagrantly present
this shameless symbol of my past
but it is not shameless.
I am not ashamed
of this egghead institution
or we geeks
who inherit this earth.

I am proud
to have come from one
of the smarter schools in the city
to have graduated
middlest of the class
from a building of giants.

We were the clever kids
and we did the homework.
We got the grades
and went on to graduate schools.
We oversee
all the opportunities
the country sees
for the following centuries.
We are the smarties
and we have brought you
the world that you know.

When you see me
in my Stuy shirt
you’ll know who to thank.